The post Safe Blood Saves Lives appeared first on Doer Life.
]]>The 5 objectives of World Blood Donor Day 2020 campaign are:
There are 3 kinds of blood donors – the voluntary unpaid donor who gives blood for storage at a blood bank called the ‘Allogeneic or Homologous Donor’, the family/replacement donor who donates blood for a specific person called ‘Directed Donor’ and third the ‘Paid Donor’ who mostly sells his blood in exchange for money. Out of 171 countries that collect blood, 71 countries (42%) are high-income countries that support just 16% of the world’s population. The remaining countries still don’t have easy and affordable access to blood. Why we need blood banks and blood donors to keep supplying blood is because of these underlying reasons:
From a survey in 2018, by Statista of more than 23,000 adults across 28 countries, Saudi Arabia emerged as the country where maximum blood donors came forward to donate blood. India ranked second. While 58 % of Saudis said they frequently donate their blood, India’s share was 52% followed by China 40%. Also as per WHO, from 2013 to 2018, blood donations from voluntary unpaid donors has increased by 7.8 million. While 79 countries collect over 90% of their blood supply from voluntary unpaid blood donors; 56 countries still collect 50% of their blood supply from family/replacement or paid donors.
In India, the first Blood Bank was started in 1942, at All India Institute of Hygiene & Public Health, Calcutta (West Bengal) by the Indian Red Cross Society (IRCS). The country now has over 2,760 licensed blood banks with the largest (308) in Maharashtra.
Besides the local hospitals who have their blood banks, some major Indian blood donations organizations are:
Besides, organizations like Indian Blood Donors, BloodConnect and Friends2Support help to maintain a database of blood donors to facilitate a network between blood donors and organizations/hospitals.
This year on June 14 India will participate in the blood donation drive. However, on account of COVID-19, the Blood Bank mobile blood collection units will be taking extra precautions for the blood donor by using thermal scanners, disinfectant cleaning of couches, gloves, masks, and maintaining 3 metre gap between the two couches.
Though India uses 9 million of the 11 million blood units it collects every year, we still run short by over 2 million units to reach the target of 13.5 million (1% of population mandated by WHO). Interestingly 84% of these blood donations are collected through voluntary non-remunerated donors. India is currently working towards reaching this WHO target by 2020 to achieve 100% self-sufficiency and voluntary blood donation. It is also important that not just quantity by quality blood free from HIV, and Hepatitis B & C is collected. What is equally a daunting task in India is to avoid blood wastage before its expiry date by transferring it from one hospital to another. This makes blood inventory management essential to ensure availability to the right patient, at the right time.
International organizations like World Health Organization (WHO), the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, the International Federation of Blood Donor Organizations and the International Society of Blood Transfusion, are working in close collaboration to give guidance and support on this Day.
Due to the current corona virus pandemic and with restrictions imposed by various countries, this year WHO will run a global virtual campaign on blood donation. The blood donation drive will call to action governments and health authorities worldwide to provide adequate resources to increase the collection of blood from voluntary, non-remunerated blood donors. WHO also shares directives on quality donor care, blood transfusions, and the appropriate clinical use of blood. Remember it only takes 10-15 minutes to donate blood. It is a safe procedure. After donating blood, drink water, avoid strenuous exercise and alcohol until a few hours after donation, and wait till at least 56 days to donate blood again.
On World Blood Donor Day June 14, 2020, even if you are unable to step out to donate blood, let the intent stay. When the country gets back to the new normal, go ahead and become a blood donor by just donating 350 ml of your blood.
The post Safe Blood Saves Lives appeared first on Doer Life.
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